REFERENDUM FAQS

The current Campus Presidents have proposed that instead of electing four Presidents each year, we should elect one President and two Vice Presidents (one covering Kent and one covering Surrey).

What is a President?

A President is an elected position that exists to represent UCA students. You can run to be a President in your final year, or at any point in your studies, as long as you are prepared to take a 1-2 year sabbatical from your degree. It is a full-time paid position that can only be held by former or current UCA students.

In the new system, what would each of the roles entail?

There would be a President, who would represent all four campuses, would chair the Board of Trustees, and liaise with the university.
There would then be two Vice Presidents: VP Kent and VP Surrey. The Vice Presidents would represent their respective regions, as well as specialising in a particular area of student interest like welfare or activities, which they would decide together after their election.

Why was this change proposed?

The current Presidents felt that there should be a better division of responsibility, and that simply separating by campus meant that each officer focused too minutely on small campus issues rather than collaborating on cross-campus campaigns and events. Also, they felt that reducing the number of officers from four to three would financially benefit students, as it would free up more funds to hire student staff and interns.

What will happen with the extra money?

UCASU would hire more student staff to work in the union offices on all campuses, creating more job opportunities for students, and keeping the union in touch with students' interests and concerns.

How will I know that my campus won't get forgotten?

The role of the VPs would be to ensure that their region - Kent or Surrey - is well-represented, and the President would be tasked with equally representing the four campuses. The goal of the new officer structure would be to encourage community across campuses, rather than allowing students to feel restricted to their individual campus.

Can I run for one position one year and then a different position the following year?

Yes! You could be elected for two terms, whether that's two years in the same role, or one year as a VP and one as the President. It wouldn't matter which order you ran for which position.

How can I vote?

All current students will have been sent an individual link to vote in the referendum, so go to your UCA emails and follow the link there!

If you have further questions, please email [email protected] For more information about why the change was proposed or why the current Presidents are campaigning for the 3 rather than 4, get in touch with your Campus President.